Yielding holder for luminous tubes



March 5, 1929. R. GRANDJEAN 1,704,472

YIELDING HOLDER FOR LUMINOUS TUBES Filed Aug. 1, 1925 v INVENTOR RENE GRANDJEAN Ass 0 C IATE ATTORNEY tubes with their supporting) Patented Mar. 5,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BENE GRANDJEAN, OF COURBEVOIE, FRANCE, ASSIGNOB. BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO RAINBOW LIGHT, INC., 01? NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

YIELDING HOLDER FOR LUMINOUS TUBES.

Application filed August 1, 1925. Serial No. 47,641.

The object of present invention is a yielding holder for luminous tubes used chlefly for advertising. It is well known that as these tubes are not absolutely rigid, they are 5 more or less distorted before being set up.

i It is therefore very diflicult to secure them on their supporting plate by means of the nonremovable holders used nowadays. Moreover it is very inconvenient to move the plate and besides the tubes are liable to reak under the influence of vibrations or of changes of teinperature as no yielding part is provided for.

1 According to present invention yielding holders are secured beforehand on the, supporting plate and are adapted to move in all directions so asto come under the luminous tube, even if latter does not pass over the geometrical axis ofthe holder in its mean position. Sucha holder comprises a hold ing rod which is kept in place by a spiral spring having the same axis and engaging a helical groove provided along the wall of a hole of the securing plate. Besides, this spring can be secured to the plate by any other suitable means.

The drawing shows a spring holder support which is inserted in a groove provided in a socket set in a hole of the supporting plate.

In the drawing the holder comprises a holding rod 1, the forked head ol which receives the tube 2. This rod is yieldingly secured to the supporting plate 3 by means of the spiral spring 4, the upper part of which I 5 closely encircles the holding rod 1, while the stud 5 borne by therod prevents respective movement between the spring and the rod. The lower windings of the spring 4 are removed somewhat further from the rod and a 40 few. of the lower coils are inserted in grooves provided in the sockets 10 which in turn fits somewhat loosely through the hole 6 of supporting plate 3. The flanges 11 of socket 10 are provided with oval slots which allow the socket to be secured to the supporting plate by the bolts and 12, the former of which serves also to hold the end 7 of the spring by means of the nut 9. By means of .the oval slots of the flanges 11 and of the play between the socket and the edges of tha hole 6, the socket and holding rod may be moved somewhat in a horizontal direction inside of the hole. The use of this socket con struction is particularly advantageous in the case of thin supporting plates which could not withstand the direct stress transmitted by the spring.

This construction permits the holding rod to'be borne yieldingly by the plate so that it can be moved in three directions with reference thereto so as to be brought easily underneath the tube even if the latter does not pass exactly over the geometrical axis of the holder in its mean position. This construction permits of the tollowing movements of the supporting rod. It can move vertically by pulling up or pressing down the spring. It can bend slightly in all directions by reason of the play between its lower pair and the corresponding windings of the spring so that the forked head may be slightly moved laterally. Lastly the rod can rotate around its axis so as to be raised or lowered with respect to the plate and yet be securely heldto the spring by means of the stud 5, when the tube is definitely secured to the forked end of. the supporting rod.

The rods and spring shown in the drawing can'be manufactured as standard equipment in large quantities provided they are each made slightly longer than would be necessary in actual use, because when installed in place it *is an easy matter to cut oil the sur-' plus length of rod and spring.

What I claim is:

A yielding support for securing a luminous t 'be on a supporting plate, comprising a ho] ing rod adapted to support the tube,

.said rod passing through a hole in the supporting plate, a socket adjustably mounted within said hole and formed with a helical groove therein; a spiral spring surrounding the rod and engaging said groove, the outer windings of the spring closely surrounding the rod and a stud on the rod passing between two of the latter windings, substantially as set forth. I I

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature.

RENE GRANDJEAN. 

